Unknown
by MitchelMussoForever
Summary: They found him wandering the streets of Los Angeles. No one knows who he is or where he came from, and they can't get him to talk, not even one word. But then a certain young girl befriends him, and he confides in her something that will bring the whole world crashing down.
1. New Refugee

**Okay… it's me again! I bet y'all are tired of me by now, right? I hope not… So, this is my new story, _Unknown_, and I hope you guys like it. It's AU, I got the idea while watching a Doctor Who episode called _Dalek_, but it's not like Doctor Who really at all. Oh, and it's all Mikayla's POV. But anyways, on with Chapter One….**

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It started off like a normal day. I woke up in my tiny bedroom in the bunkers at 6 a.m. sharp, like always, and started to get ready. My room looked pretty much like every other room in the bunkers, about eight square feet with gray concrete walls and floor, the only furniture being a single cot pushed against one wall. Well, it had looked like that when I'd moved _in_. But it didn't really look like that anymore. It was still pretty basic, my old friends back in San Francisco would have totally _freaked _if they'd seen how drab it was. It was still looked a _lot _better than it had used to look. I wasn't allowed to change the walls, but I'd hung up so many pictures and poster and drawings that you could barely see the gray, and I'd brought in my little white bookshelf from my old house and filled it with all my favorite books. I'd also laid down a dark blue shag rug and put a blue-and-white comforter on my cot, and my mother's old chest sat in the corner with all my clothes in it.

My dad always said my room was the brightest in the entire bunker, and I knew he was right. I liked that, though, and I knew my mom would've too. The whole place was_ way_ too gloomy, in my opinion. It needed some cheering up.

See, me and my dad work for ASSULF, which stands for the Association of the Scientific Study of Unusual Life Forms. Most people have never heard of it, but what we do down here is _super _important. We basically take into custody any life form (I'd say humans, but most of them _aren't _human) that's… different and study them. Like one time, a couple of years ago, a meteor crashed in Texas and split open, and there was a creature inside. We still have it in our care and some of our highest clearance personnel are still running tests on it, but I'm _way _to low in rank to do anything _that _dangerous. I'm still documenting things and charting test results. I bring some of the refugees (that's what we call them, even though that's not exactly what they are) their meals sometimes, but that's pretty all the contact with them I get.

We're lucky to even get to work here, though. This place is _highly _top-secret and it's _so _hard to get jobs somewhere like this. So how did we get these jobs? Basically, when I was in eighth grade and I took my testing to get into high school, my science grade was high. Like, _really _high. So high that the school system showed it to the government, and they offered me and my dad jobs here. I remember how thrilled I was when we first got here. Most people _have _heard of it, actually, they call it Area 51, but they all think it's just a story, that it doesn't really exist, and I was one of those people. But the truth is, Area 51 _doesn't _exist, because this _isn't _Area 51. But the whole story of it did come form ASSULF, even though we are _much _kinder to our refugees then everyone thinks, which is mainly where the difference comes in.

We moved here, my dad and I, when I was fourteen, and I'm sixteen now. I'd use to love it here when I was younger, all that high-tech science and alienish creatures had fascinated me, and I still liked it, it was all _really _interesting. But after living down here so long, with all the concrete walls and underground rooms… I hadn't seen the sun in nearly three years. It didn't feel like a magical place full of wonderful science anymore. It felt more like a prison.

I pushed all those thoughts out of my head for now and changed into my normal ASSSULF issued clothes, sturdy black pants and a navy blue jacket over a black t-shirt. Everything had to be dark down here. I had brighter clothes, but I wasn't allowed to wear them during work. Another thing I was starting to hate about this place. I quickly tied my long dark brown hair back in a ponytail and slipped my feet into my tall black boots (I really hate these clothes), then swung open the heavy door and walked out.

I'd taken a little longer than usual to get ready this morning, so the halls of the bunker were completely abandoned. It was kind of creepy, walking through the dark, empty concrete hallways alone, my footsteps echoing so loudly it made me wince. I sped up and was able to get to Room 200786, where I was stationed, only a few minutes late.

It looked like every other lab in this place, with concrete walls (but they were white instead of gray) and all sorts of cool high-tech equipment. Strangely, it was empty, but I guess everyone else was getting coffee or something.

"Hey Daddy," I greeted my father, who stood in the middle of the room, reading something from a folder and frowning.

"Oh, hey baby girl," he said absently.

"What's up?" I asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"We got a new refugee this morning," he said.

This didn't really surprise me. We got those all the time. Well, not _all _the time, but it still wasn't unusual. "So?"

"This one's different," he said.

"Different like how? I mean, they're all pretty much aliens, they're all different."

My dad sighed heavily. "Baby girl, this isn't an alien. Well, he might be. But there's just something weird about him, something so… I don't even know how to describe it. But we haven't even run any tests or anything on him yet, and we can already tell that he's special."

"Daddy, I'm still lost. How's he different?"

He shook his head. "Just read the records, Mikayla." He held out the folder he'd been reading from to me.

I took it. "Okay, I will."

Little did I know that this ordinary morning that suddenly become one of the most important days of my entire life.

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**I don't know if you guys liked that or not, I know it was… weird. But I hope you guys do like it. Please review!**


	2. Learning More

**Okay… my first chapter didn't do so well review-wise, but I'm going to carry on anyway. Here's Chapter Two.**

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My dad left after that, so I was alone with the files. Unable to hide my curiosity any longer, I ripped open the folder and pulled out a thick pile of papers.

I'd read a lot of new refugees' files before, so I knew how they were formatted, and this one looked pretty much the first page just had his number: **Refugee 29945**. After that was the second page, the one with all the physical information, which I scanned quickly. Gender: Male (I already knew that), Name: Unknown, Age: Unknown but around 17, Height: 5' 8", Weight: 124, Life Form Type: Unknown but has human appearance, Hair Color: Brown, Eye Color: Hazel, DOB: Unknown, Place of Birth: Unknown, Guardian(s): Unknown, Place of Residence: Unknown, Date Found: 7/23/12.

_ Wow, I've never seen that many unknowns before_, I thought. Usually refugees get debriefed the instant they get here. There's normally still a few unknowns until we run at least a couple of tests, but _seven_? The biggest I can ever remember is three. This was over twice that. That _was _a bit weird…

I pushed that thought away for a minute and turned to the next page. It as the description of how they found him. This was always my favorite page, definitely the most interesting. This account was written by Dr. Archie Hooper, one of our top clearance personnel, the one who found him, probably. I started to read.

_On the night of July 23rd, 2012,_ _I received a message from the Head of the Los Angeles Police Department informing me that they had discovered a boy about seventeen years old wandering the streets, and when they tried to talk to him he didn't respond, and then when they tried to grab him and take him into custody, but they found they couldn't touch him. We dispatched six personnel immediately, and they were able to get him back to ASSULF Headquarters without physical contact. _

The report ended there, but I was still confused. What the heck was this? _They couldn't touch him_. What did that mean? Why couldn't they? And sure, this was weird, but how was it so much different from anything we'd seen before? None of this added up. And I should know. After science and P.E., math is my best subject.

I scanned the rest of the papers, but none of it was really very informative. Actually, it wasn't informative _at all_.

Time to go get more answers. From a much better source.

~XXX~

I slowly made my way through the labyrinth of concrete corridors, looking for my dad. I didn't get out of Room 200786 very much, so I had some trouble navigating my way through. But finally, after nearly an hour of wrong turns and dead ends, I opened the door to Room 456001 and found him leaning over Dr. Amélie Swan's shoulder, both of their eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of her.

Room 456001 looked very similar and yet very different from Room 200786. The white concrete walls and floor looked a twin to the room I'd come from, but this one's walls were covered in computer screens, not lab equipment.

"Hey Daddy," I said, my voice sounding extra loud in this room.

They both started and whirled around when I spoke.

"Oh, hello Mikayla," my dad said. "You need something?"

I nodded. "I want to find out more about the new refugee," I said. "That folder didn't really give me any information."

Dr. Amélie frowned at me. "I'm not sure if your status if high enough-"

"Amélie, she's been working here for four years," my dad reminded her. "In fact, just the other day Dr. Watson was talking to me about promoting her."

"Really?" I said. A promotion? That would be… awesome!

She pursed her lips, then sighed tiredly and said, "alright then." She turned back to her computer and clicked on a file, which immediately popped open. She started taking with her back still to me. "One of the things that's so unusual about this refugee is that since he was delivered here about three hours ago, he hasn't said a word."

"He hasn't?" I said, surprised. "That's not normal, is it?"

Dr. Amélie shook her head emphatically. "Not as long as I've worked here. The new refugees always talk a lot, admittedly not always in English, but still they are rather chatty. And even the ones that aren't always answer our questions. And it's not just that he hasn't talked, either. Since he got here, he hasn't moved or shown any signs of life at all. He just sits in the corner of the room, his eyes closed, not moving a muscle."

I frowned. "Is he even still alive?"

She nodded. "I think so. But he isn't keen to show it."  
"But when they found him, he was walking around, wasn't he? And they were able to bring him here, he was moving then, right?"

"That's the funny part, I don't know how that all works out. He was walking around, but just staring straight ahead. He was moving, but more like a zombie. He still wasn't showing any signs of life. He didn't talk then either."

This still didn't add up. "Have you run any tests yet?"  
"Not yet. We're waiting for him to move, talk, do _something_."

I nodded. But something else was still bothering me. "And in the report it said no one could touch him. What does that mean?"

She pursed her lips again. "They _can _touch him. It's not impossible to do so. Bu so far everyone who has touched him has… died."

I staggered back. "Died? What… how?"

"Electrocuted is our best guess. We're not positive though. I don't know why that's happening… that's expressly why they wanted us to bring him here."

I could feel a lump rising in my throat. "How… how many people have… ddd… died?"

She bowed her head reverently. "Six."

"Six? But that's crazy! He's dangerous, that's what he is!" I exclaimed.

She nodded sadly. "That he is."

"Where did you out him?" I asked, my voice shaking now.

"He's down in Sublevel Eight with guards outside and video cameras inside," she said.

_ Sublevel Eight_. We only have nine sublevels, and they're all for the most dangerous or interesting life forms. If he was down that deep… Either that, or the first seven were full.

I gestured to the computers all around us. "If there are cameras down there, then can you show him to me on these screens?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Can I see him?" I asked.

She nodded again, then typed in a code and the screen on the wall above her came to life. It showed the interior of a dark stone room that kind of looked like a big prison cell. It was completely empty, except for the figure of boy leaning against one wall. It was so dark in the room that I couldn't see the boy really, except for his faint outline.

"Okay," I said quietly. "Okay." I couldn't think of anything else to say.

~XXX~

"Good morning daddy, good morning Dr. Amélie," I said, swinging open the door of Room 456001 and entering.

"Good morning Mikayla," they chorused back.

"Any progress on the new refugee?" I asked. It had been a week since he'd been brought here, and nothing had happened yet. He still hadn't talked, moved, or done anything at all. I knew the doctors were getting _seriously _concerned by now.

"No, not yet," my dad said. "Leave us alone, Mikayla. I'm sure you have chores to do."

He was right, of course. But I didn't want to do them. It wasn't really fair, _I_ was the one who'd gotten us here in the first place, with my ridiculously high science IQ. And now _I _was the one filing papers.

I was so lost in my angry thoughts that I didn't even realize where I was going until I got there and looked up, shocked. Instead of going _up_ the stairs to Room 100007, where I got my assignments, my feet had taken me _down _the stairs, all the way down to Sublevel Eight.

I was now standing in an _extremely _drafty hallway, facing a door with the words **Highest Clearance Personnel Only** in big black letters. Strangely enough, there were no guards around. None at all.

An idea suddenly occurred to me. What if the door was unlocked? Could i just turn the knob and go in? I could see the new refugee up close.

_He's killed six people already_, the annoying voice in my head reminded me.

But I ignored it. I didn't really care right now. I was feeling reckless, and I was going to do it. I grabbed the knob and started to turn it, praying the door was unlocked. I could feel it started to give way… it was unlocked! I turned it more and started to push on the door….

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**Cliffie! Mwhahahaha! (OMG, now I feel like my brother Gabe). The more reviews I get on this one, the faster I'll post Chapter 3! So review.**


	3. Inside Sublevel Eight

**Okay, I left you on a cliffy last night, so without further ado, Chapter Three!**

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The door was _really _heavy, and at first it didn't budge. But I'm a Makoola, and Makoolas do _not _take no for an answer. So I kept on pushing with all of my strength, and finally, after about three minutes of strong shoving, the door swung slowly open.

This was it. No going back now. I had to just do it. I let go of the door handle and stepped inside.

I was immediately enveloped in frigid air, so cold it literally took my breath away. I staggered back a little, panting, trying to get it back. It felt like icy hands were gripping my lungs, squeezing them so tightly I had no chance to get a breath in. I started to cough, still unable to breathe. My whole body shook form the strength of my coughs. My eyes were watering, blurring my vision so I could barely see. I backed up against the wall and leaned against it, coughing and praying for help.

And then suddenly, as if by magic, a little wisp of air managed to get down my throat around my coughing and I started to wheeze. About a minute later I'd stopped coughing and was able to breathe normally. It was still inhumanly cold and there were tear tracks on my face, but I could breathe again. Shivering, I took a better look around the room, examining it, taking it all in.

It was about twenty-five by twenty-five square feet, and the ceiling looked about ten feet tall. The entire room was made of shiny black stone, probably obsidian. The new refugee was leaning against the far wall, his legs sticking out in front of him.

I walked closer (but not _too _close) to get a better look at him.

His head was tilted up at the ceiling, his eyes closed. His expression was calm, his features unmoving, and his lips were unsmiling. He had fair skin and short, scruffy dark hair and he was wearing black shorts, a blue t-shirt, and a red-and-blue plaid shirt.

I knew that I'd done what I'd wanted to do. I'd gone inside Sublevel Eight and gotten a closer look at the new refugee. Now I needed to go back upstairs and do my chores like a good little girl. But I didn't do that. Instead, I reached out my hand and started walking towards him.

The voice in my head was screaming, _STOP! Don't go any closer! If you touch him you'll die! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!_

But I ignored it. I have no idea what came over me right then, but it was like all of the sudden I couldn't control my actions. It was like my brain had just stopped working and something else had taken control. I could hear the voice in my head trying to stop me, but I _couldn't _stop. Right then I couldn't have stopped what I was doing anymore than I could have stopped the sun from rising this morning.

I was right in front of the new refugee now, so I crouched down and reached out a quivering hand to him. I knew when I touched him I was going to die, but I couldn't stop myself. I didn't _want _to stop myself. Bracing myself for the painful death that was unavoidable, I extended my hand a bit farther and touched the tips of my fingers to his warm cheek.

But I didn't die. I wasn't electrocuted or killed in some other unknown but horrible way. I didn't even feel any pain. Not a single twinge.

Something unusual _did _happen when I touched him, though. As soon as my fingers brushed against his face, his eyes popped open and his head turned towards me.

Our eyes met. His were hazel, just like the folder said, and they were looking at me in a way no one had ever looked at me before. It was almost like he was reading me, exploring my thoughts and looking into my memories. I looked right back at him, wondering if I could read him the way he was reading me, but as I stared into those dark hazel eyes, I knew that was impossible. They were empty, as empty as this room had been before he'd arrived. I could see nothing in them.

I jerked my hand away and staggered to my feet, stumbling away from him, my eyes still fixed his face. I couldn't seem to tear them away.

As soon as my hand was pulled away, his eyes closed and he was motionless again.

The door swung open and two guards came in.

"Miss Makoola, you have to leave. You're not authorized to be here," the first one said.

I looked at the new refugee, who was still motionless, and nodded. "Okay, I'm leaving." I walked past them, up the stairs and back to Room 456001.

"Mikayla," my dad said as I entered. "We saw you on the video feed. Everyone did."

I just nodded. I couldn't think of anything to say.

"You touched him," Dr. Amélie said, sounding awestruck. "You touched him and you didn't die."

I nodded again.

"And what's more," she continued. "When you touched him, he responded. He's been here for a week and he never showed a single sign of when you touched him… something happened."

"I don't know what it was," I said quickly.

"We'll find that out eventually, but that's not the most important thing as of now," she said, turning back to her computer. "What _is _important is that _you _can get him to move and respond. Maybe you could even make him talk. This is the miracle we've been waiting for!"

"So… you want me to go down there and get the information you need out of him?" I asked.

She nodded.

"No," my dad said. "Absolutely not. True, she touched hims safely once, but you can't guarantee he won't kill her next time."

"Mason, this is our only chance," Dr. Amélie said firmly. "We must-"

"No," my dad said, equally firm.

"Daddy, I have to help!" I said. "He's only seventeen. I _need_ to help him."

"He's dangerous," my dad said.

"He's just an innocent teenage boy!" I cried. "He's my age. He's lost and hurt and probably really scared. I just want to help him be safe. What if he was your kid? Wouldn't you want someone to help him? What if it was _me_, daddy?"

My dad looked at me for what seemed like forever, then he sighed and said, "Okay Mikayla. You can help him."

"Thank you daddy!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him and hugging him. Then I turned to Dr. Amélie. "What do I do first?"

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**Hope you liked it… Please review!**


	4. Talk to Me

**Okay… This story isn't doing so well…. But I'm going to keep going anyways… Here's the next chapter. **

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"Are you ready for this, Mikayla?" Dr. Felton asked me, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

I nodded, even though I was feeling a bit queasy.

She nodded back sharply. "Good. Is your earpiece secure?"

I put my finger on it and tried to wiggle it, but it didn't budge. "Yeah, it is," I told her.

"Okay, then you're all set. Your dad, Dr. Amélie, and I, along with a few other doctors, will be watching you on these monitors," she said, gesturing to the several large computer screens behind her. "And your earpiece is hooked up to those speakers." She pointed at them. "We'll be able to see and hear you at all times."

"Okay," I said. I couldn't think of any other response.

"Remember your instructions: just go in there, make contact, and try to get as much information out of him as you possibly can, alright Mikayla? You know what questions to ask? His name, where he's from, his parentage. That type of thing."

"Okay," I said again. Then I asked, "This _will _help him, right?"

Dr. Felton smiled at me, though it looked oddly pained and forced. "Of course, dear."

Something went off in the back of my mind, like an alarm almost, warning me that she was lying. But I ignored it. Instead I turned to my dad.

He hugged me tight and whispered into my ear, "stay safe, baby girl. I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do, daddy," I assured him, giving him a confident smile. "I do."

"Mikayla!" Dr. Felton snapped. "It's go time!"  
I turned back to her. "Okay, okay, I'm ready."

"Good," she said. "We don't have the time or the room for slackers."

I bit my lip to keep from retorting and followed her out the door. Two guards were waiting for us on the other side, fully armed with guns and everything. I _really _hoped they didn't have to use those on Brady. Though if I think about it, they were probably to use against _me_. How…. nice.

"Take her down, boys," Dr. Felton instructed the guards. "Don't forget your orders."

I couldn't help wondering what those orders were.

The two nodded sharply and took positions on either side of me.

"And Mikayla," Dr. Felton said. "Good luck." She gave me a small smile, then went back inside Room 539012, where they would be watching me and the refugee, and shut the door behind her, leaving me alone in the dark hallway with the guards.

They escorted me through the winding halls and down the staircase to the Sublevels. Since I hadn't really been paying attention last time I'd gone down here, this trip was a totally new experience, and I didn't particularly enjoy it. The walk down seem to take eons, our three pairs of feet echoing loudly on the gray concrete steps. I noticed that the temperature dropped lower and lower the farther down we got, each sublevel being colder than the last. By the time we reached Sublevel Eight, we were at glacial temperatures.

I walked slowly over to the door, pausing at the handle. I rounded on the guards, who stood there like statues. "I don't want you to come with me. I want you to stay here and keep everyone out." Not that I expected anyone to come down here really. But they needed _something _to do.

They nodded in perfect unison, then turned and stood on either side of the door, guns at the ready.

"Perfect," I said under my breath. Then I placed my palm on the handle, wrapping my fingers slowly and cautiously around it. "Here goes nothing," I whispered. Then I slowly pushed it open and entered, closing it softly behind me.

The freezing cold air of the room didn't take my breath away this time, but my first inhale of it did send icicles through my lungs. I took another deep breath and tried to adjust to it.

The room looked exactly as it had two days ago; same shiny black walls, same high ceiling, same teenage boy leaning against the far wall.

He hadn't moved since I'd left, he was still just sitting there, eyes closed, motionless. Looking at him, I couldn't help but wonder if he was even still alive. He hadn't eaten in at least ten days, maybe he'd starved to death.

I started walking towards him, my sandaled feet making no sound of the obsidian floor (I was dressed in my normal clothes, jean shorts and a pink floral top, instead of my uniform). I stopped about two feet away from him and fixed my eyes on his bent head. "Hello?" I said, hoping my voice would wake him up. If he was sleeping, that is.

I waited for about three or four minutes, watching him, but he didn't move.

I went closer and knelt, then reaching out a trembling hand and touched his shoulder.

The result was instant. As soon as I made contact, his eyes flew open and his head snapped up, those hazel eyes staring straight into mine.

My first instinct was to jerk away, but I fought it and met his gaze. "Hello," I said quietly, trying not to startle him like he'd startled me. "Can you please talk to me?"

He didn't say anything. Just looked at me.

"Please?" I asked again. "Please talk to me. I'm begging you." I felt my eyes start to water. "I want to talk to you."

Not breaking eye contact, he opened his mouth. "They can hear us," he said, his voice so soft I could barely hear it.

I knew immediately that he meant the doctors. I was tempted to whisper back, but that wouldn't do any good. They could hear my every word, not matter how quiet my voice was. "Yes," I said, not letting my eyes wander from his face.

His eyelids started to flutter.

"No!" I exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder. "Don't go away, please."

His eyes opened again. "You're one of them," he whispered.

I shook my head. "I do work for them, I'm not doing this for them, I'm doing it for you. They promised me that if I could find out more about you they'd help you."

He was still watching me. "Can I trust you?" His voice sounded hoarse and pained.

"Yes," I said. I hoped that was true.

He nodded. "Come back tomorrow. I'll talk to you."

I got slowly to my feet. "Okay. Thank you so much." I started walking to the door. Halfway there I stopped and turned around. "Can you at least tell me your name?"

He looked down at the floor, then back up at me. "Brady. My name is Brady."

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**Were you guys expecting that? Review!**


	5. Third Time's the Charm

**Okay, here is Chapter Five.**

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I couldn't sleep very well that night. I couldn't stop thinking about _Brady_. Those questions he'd asked me: "Can I trust you?" and "You're one of them?" What did they mean? Why could he only talk to me and not to them? Didn't he know that they wanted to _help _him?

I was finally able to drift off, but my dreams were filled with dark, empty rooms and raven-haired teenage boys who looked at me with scared hazel eyes. I also saw myself running through the halls of Headquarters, someone hot on my heels, but I couldn't seem to tell who. A stormy island also found it's way into my dreams, even though I've never been to any islands before, especially not that one. And I kept hearing high-pitched screams, but I couldn't tell if they were Brady's or mine or someone else's.

So it therefore goes without saying that I woke up bright and early the next morning, at 4:45 a.m. After lying in bed for a while, trying clear my head, I got up and went over to my dresser. Since I was going to visit the new refugee (excuse me, _Brady_) today, I was allowed to wear my normal clothes instead of my uniform, so I put on my favorite purple dress and sandals and then yanked a brush through my hair. I was about to leave when I suddenly remembered how cold it was down there, so I went back, grabbed my jean jacket, and pulled it on.

I made my way through the corridors till I got to the mess hall. I'm normally never here this early, so it wasn't nearly as crowded as I was use to. Only a few of the highest clearance personnel were there. Everyone else was probably still getting ready.

As I got my food and sat down, I could feel their eyes on me. Probably because they recognized me from yesterday's security footage of Sublevel Eight. They knew it was me who'd made a connection with Brady. I felt my cheeks redden under their stares. I finished eating my eggs at top speed and got up to leave.

"Are you gonna eat that?"  
"Huh?" I looked down at a young male doctor, who was pointing at the cinnamon roll sitting abandoned on my plate. "Oh, uh…" I didn't really want it. Then I thought of Brady. He hadn't eaten in who knows how long, I'll bet he was pretty hungry. He might want it.

"Yeah, I am gonna eat it," I told him, snatching it up and tucking it in my pocket.

I hurried out of the mess hall and back to Room 456001, which was empty. I'd been expecting this, it was too early for my dad and Dr. Amélie to be here. I plopped down in one of the black, wheeled chairs and waited, my eyes on the huge screen across from me, which was showing the video feed from Sublevel Eight. It looked the same as it had looked everyday since he'd came here, just him sitting motionless, his eyes closed and his face peaceful.

_ What are you thinking, Brady?_ I thought, watching him. _Where did you come from? What are you hiding?_

Finally my dad and Dr. Amélie entered, both holding mugs of hot coffee.

"Mikayla?" My dad said, sounding surprised to see me.

"Good morning, daddy!" I greeted him, sounding a lot more cheerful than I felt.

"Good morning… you're up awfully early, aren't you, baby girl?" He asked. "I mean, it's not even six yet. You're never up and about till at least 6:30."

I shrugged. "I'm just taking my job seriously, daddy. Anything wrong with that?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not." He still looked disconcerted, though.

Dr. Amélie smiled at me knowingly. "She's just fascinated by the new refugee, right Mikayla? It is very interesting."

I nodded, returning her smile. Ever since we first got here, Dr. Amélie's been kind of like a mother figure to me, seeing as my mom died from cancer when I was five. Or maybe more like an aunt. I don't know, I just really like her.

"You can understand that, can't you Mason?" She continued when my dad looked unconvinced.

He lifted a shoulder. "I suppose."

"Mhmm." She nodded and winked at me. "Do you think it's too early to wake him up?"

"Could we?" I asked hopefully.

"I think so," she replied, picking up her headset. "Let me call in…" She pressed a few buttons and started talking into the receiver. "Yes, she's awake, we'd like permission to enter the Sublevels please." She waited a few seconds, then said, "Of course. I'll hook her up right away." She hung up and said to me, "You need to put your earpiece in."

"Do I have to?" I asked. "He doesn't like it when I have it in."

"I'm sorry dear, but it's regulation. They won't let you down there otherwise."

I made a face and took it from her.

Once she'd made sure it was in properly and called in again, I got permission.

"Do I need guards this time?" I asked.

She nodded "I'm afraid so. We can't be sure whether or not he'll be violent." She sighed when she saw my face. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but we have to."

I wanted to argue, but I decided to be passive for once and just do as I was told. I said goodbye to my dad and the doctor and headed down to the Sublevels with the guards.

We reached the door, I once again commanded them to remain outside, and I entered. My jacket didn't offer very much warmth, but I'd been in here enough times now that I only winced as I made contact with the frigid air. I crossed the room more quickly this time, my sandals slapping against the ground. I knelt down in front of his motionless figure and softly touched his shoulder. "Brady?"

He didn't say anything or move at all, but I could hear him breathing so I knew I'd roused him.

"You said you'd talk to me," I said. "So talk. Please."

"You go first," he said, still unmoving.

I jumped a little, still not use to the sound of his voice. "What?"

He lifted his head and looked at me. "You talk to me first. Tell me where I am and who you are."

That caught me off guard, but I complied. "My name is Mikayla. I work here."

"Where is here?"  
"ASSULF Headquarters," I told him. "That stands for Association of the Scientific Study of Unusual Life Forms. We find and run tests on unusual… creatures."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I've heard of this place. But I thought it was called Area 51."

I shook my head. "That place is just a myth. We're different from them, we're not nearly as cruel."  
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't say."

"Your turn," I said quickly. I didn't want to talk about this subject anymore. "How old are you? Where's your family? Where did you come from?"

He took a deep breath, then began to talk slowly and deliberately. "I'm seventeen years old. I come from an island called Kinkow. My family's… my family's…" His face contorted a little, a shadow seeming to pass over it. "They're dead."

"Dead?" I echoed. "Oh, I'm so sorry." I put my hand on his shoulder. "I know how you feel. My mom died when I was little."

There was silence for a little while, then I finally broke it. "What happened? How did you get to L.A.? Can you tell me…" Questions bubbled up in me, so many I couldn't possibly ask them all, so many I thought I might explode.

"I don't know if I can tell you," he said softly.

I sighed, then pulled the cinnamon roll out of my pocket and held it out to him. "Are you hungry?"

He looked down at it for a minute, then shook his head. "I haven't been hungry since… since it happened."

"Since what happened?" I couldn't help asking.

Brady looked up into my face, almost as if searching for something.

I waited for what seemed to me like forever, until finally he sighed. "Okay. I'll tell you everything."

* * *

**Until my next post…..**


	6. No!

**Okay…. Here is the next chapter…. **

* * *

A spark of excitement went up and down my spine at those words. "You will?" He was actually going to tell me?

"Good work, Mikayla!" Dr. Amélie exclaimed into my earpiece.

"Yes, excellent," I heard Dr. Felton chime in.

Brady nodded, not looking at me, his eyes fixed on the ground.  
"So…" I prompted.

He started to tell, still not looking at me. "It all started about four months ago. Well, I don't know how long I've been down here-"

"Nine days, give or take a few," I told him.

He nodded slowly. "Four months ago. That's when things didn't start to feel right." He flickered his gaze up to my face and then quickly down again. "I lived on an island called Kinkow. Most people have never heard of it, it's small, in the middle of the ocean, far away from everything else. I come from the Royal Family."

"The Royal Family?" I repeated stupidly.

"Yes, the Royal Family," he said. "My dad's the king and my mom is the queen. My brothers and I are princes. At least, we use to be," he finished, his voice full of pain.

I reached out a trembling hand and placed it on his shoulder. "I'm… so sorry."

"Kinkow's not a normal island. I'm not exactly sure how it works but it's different… we have trolls and mermaids and giant spiders and loads of other creatures-"

"Mermaids!" I heard Dr. Felton exclaim. "Is he serious? If we could get our hands on a mermaid…" I could practically hear her hyperventilating.

"Kinkow has magic," Brady said. "And a few months ago something changed. We could all feel it, my mom especially. Something was wrong."

I knelt there, listening.

"But we didn't know what it was. My brothers and my cousin and I searched the Great Book, trying to find out, but we found nothing. And then, about three weeks ago, _he _showed up."

"Who?" I asked, unable to contain myself.

"I still don't know. I never saw his face. He was tall, and he wore a black cloak and a hood covering his head completely. But he had powers, dark, horrible powers. He just waved his hand and he could control the birds, especially the ravens, and the weather, and the water, anything."

"What did he want?" I asked.

"Destruction. He created a storm so powerful that all of Kinkow was destroyed. My memory is pretty foggy… Most of it I can't make out… But I remember… I remember running through the jungle, I remember rain… and lightning. I remember people screaming…"  
"How did you survive?"

"I was running and suddenly out of nowhere a bolt of lightning struck down and hit me. But it didn't kill me. Instead it… it supercharged me."

"Supercharged…" I repeated. "So that's why everyone you touch dies! You electrocute them!"

He continued as if I hadn't said anything. "My memory is even foggier after that. I don't remember anything else until I was wandering the streets of Los Angeles."

"I see…" I said slowly. I did see.

"It's all my fault," he whispered. "It's my fault that they're dead."

"No it's not!" I exclaimed immediately. "You didn't kill them! That hooded man did, not you. You can't blame yourself." I knew that better than anyone.

"But I survived. I shouldn't have, I should have died instead of them." A tear ran down his cheek. "They should still be alive, all of them."

I couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him. I waited for a few minutes, then asked the question that was still burning to be answered. "Why do you trust me? Why don't you electrocute me when you do everyone else? Why am I so… special?"

"I don't know what it is, but there's just _something _about you," he said. "I can just _feel _it. I know I can trust you." But he still didn't look at me.

"Tests!" Dr. Felton trilled in my ear. "Tell him we must run tests!"

"No," I told her. "You're not running tests on him!"  
Brady's eyebrows creased. "What?"

"Tests, Mikayla!" Dr. Felton cried. "We have to run tests! Such a fascinating specimen! Struck by lightning! My girl, this is a revolutionary-"

"I don't care, you're not going to do it!" I told her. Something had gone off in my brain, some kind of instinct had been triggered, and that instinct was telling me to protect Brady. I wasn't going to let them get anywhere near him.

"Miss Makoola, I am your employer and head of this operation. If I say we're going to run tests, then we are going to run tests! You have no say in the matter."

"He is a human being! You can't just run tests on him like some lab rat-"

"Get her out of there!" I heard Dr. Felton command the guards. "Get her away from the boy. Now!"

Immediately the doors swung open and the two guards came in, each of them grabbing one of my arms.

"No!" I screamed. "Let go of me! Brady!"

But he had gone back to being motionless.

I tried to fight them, but they were too strong for me. They heaved me up the stairs and back to Room 456001, where my dad and Dr. Amélie were waiting for me. They dropped me onto a chair and left, slamming the door behind them.

"Mikayla, what was that?" My dad demanded, looking shocked. "You disobeyed a direct order from Dr. Felton. She is your boss, you can't do that. What got into you?"

"Daddy, they can't run tests on him, they just can't!" I cried. "He's a human being, they can't treat him like that!" I raised my eyes to the screen facing me.

"Baby girl, you don't even know him. He's a complete stranger to you. Why do you care so much what happens to him?"

"He trusts me, daddy. _Me_, only me. We have this connection… I can't explain it, but I can't let him down. I can't let them do this to him. I just can't."

"They're going to run tests on him whether you cooperate or not, and if you resist, they'll fire you, which means they'll kill you, and if you're dead, you can't help him," Dr. Amélie said matter of factly, leaning against the table. "So what do you suggest we do?"

I looked from her to my dad to the screen showing Brady. "I say we break him out."

* * *

**Sorry, I know how horrible that was… but I have the WORST writers' bock I've ever had… Again, so sorry! Please review!**


	7. The Escape

**So, do you think they can do it? Read on…..**

* * *

"Break him out," Dr. Amélie repeated slowly.

"Yes, break him out," I said firmly. "As soon as possible."

I saw her and my dad exchange looks.

"Are you sure about this, Mikayla?" My dad asked in a low voice, even though they couldn't hear us in here. There weren't any bugs or anything like that.

"Yes," I said again. "It's the only way."

"Yes, Mikayla, but you have to look at the big picture," he said. "This facility has probably the tightest security in the world, not to mention the most high-tech surveillance devices. And he's in Sublevel Eight, one of the most highly protected. Trying to break someone out of there, it's practically a suicide mission."

"I can do it, I know I can."

"No, you can't. And even if you can, where will you go? What will you do with him? No one can help you, he kills anyone who touches him. And when they find out… we'll both lose our jobs."

"Daddy, you don't get it, do you? I _have_ to do this. Think of what they'll do to him. They'll kill him, I know they will. Since when has _anyone_ left ASSULF alive? They kill these creatures after they test them. I can't let them do that to him."

My dad shook his head. "No, Mikayla."

I persisted. "Dad, what would Mom do? Would she just let them kill him, or would she help him escape?"

"Don't you dare bring your mother into this conversation…"

"Mason," Dr. Amélie spoke up, interrupting him. "She's right. I've been here for nearly twenty years, and I've seen it happen time after time. They test these creatures until they know they can't get anything else out of them and then they execute them."

I let out a squeak, my eyes automatically darting up to the screen across from me. The thought of Brady being executed was almost too much to bear.

"That doesn't mean we should break him out!" My dad said, his voice rising.

"Daddy," I said, my voice weak now. I was tried of arguing, and the thought of Brady being executed had sapped me even further. "Please."

"Mason, I don't care what you say, I am going to help Mikayla," Dr. Amélie said. "I sense something special about this boy as well, and besides that, no matter how strange he may be, he's only a boy. He doesn't deserve this end. No one does." She looked at him hard. "So are you going to help us or not?"

My dad looked from me to Dr. Amélie to Brady on-screen and then back to me. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll do it."

I jumped to my feet and threw my arms around his neck. "Thank you daddy!" Then I turned to the doctor. "So… what do we do first?"

~XXX~

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

My eyes popped open and I threw the covers off my bed. I reached for my alarm clock and shut it off, checking the time as I did so. 2 AM. _Perfect._

I hurried over to my dresser and pulled on jeans, a light pink tank top, and a flowery pink top. Then I slipped my feet into my shoes and grabbed my pack. Before I'd gone to bed last night, I'd packed clothes and food and pretty much all of my stuff. After we got Brady out, we'd have to make run for it, which meant I'd never becoming back here ever again. I checked to make sure I had everything, then headed for the door. I yanked it open, and was about to leave when I paused and turned to look back. Tonight I was leaving ASSULF forever. But I wouldn't miss it. Not even a little bit. I left, slamming the door behind me (not literally, I closed it slowly and silently, but with the same feeling).

I tiptoed through the halls, trying hard not to make any noise. These halls looked almost eerie now, in the dead of night. The lights that normally lit them had been turned down and tinted green, casting everything in strange green light.

It took longer than usual, but I finally reached Room 456001. I swung open the door as quietly as I could and entered, shutting it behind me. My dad and Dr. Amélie were already there.

"Mikayla, good, you're here," Dr. Amélie said. She looked strange, dressed in a lace blouse and pink skirt, her blond hair down in curls, instead of her normal lab coat. "Come over here. I need you to hack into Dr. Felton's earpiece."

I walked over to the computer and started quickly cracking and then typing in codes. Within minutes I had accessed Dr. Felton's earpiece.

"See, _that's_ why you're the computer genius," she told me, shaking her head. "I don't know _how_ you do it."

"Okay let's just go!" I said urgently.

"Alright, alright," she said, putting on her headset. "So you set it so the guards will get the signal from her earpiece?"

"Yes."

"Hello, Sublevel Eight guards, I need you to leave your posts at once and report to Room 539012. This is an emergency," Dr. Amélie barked into the headset, sounding exactly like Dr. Felton. Once she had finished, she pulled it off and said to me, "Okay, they've left. It's go time!"

I grabbed my bags and my dad's. "Come on, let's go!"

My dad opened the door and waited as Dr. Amélie and I left, then shut the door behind us.

"Okay Mikayla, remember the plan," Dr. Amélie instructed me. "Get Brady and then meet your father and I at the entrance."

I nodded, handed my bags to my dad, then turned the corner, heading down the stairs to the Sublevels. By now, the concrete stairs and temperature drop was completely normal to me, so I ignored them. When I reached the door to Sublevel Eight, the guards were gone, so I just pulled open the door and went in.

"Brady!" I exclaimed, running over to him. I fell to my knees beside him and grabbed his shoulder. "Brady, wake up!"  
His head snapped up. "What Mikayla?"  
"We're getting you out of here," I told him. "Come on!"  
"What do you mean?" He asked.

"They want to run tests on you," I said. "Like some kind of lab rat. You know, because of your island and the lightning thing and all. Then they're going to kill you. But we won't let them. Me and my dad are going to get you out."

He frowned. "But won't you get in trouble? Lose your jobs?"

"Yes, but it's worth it. We can't let them do this to you."

"I don't want to live anymore," he said quickly. "Let them kill me, I don't care. Everyone I love is dead."

"Well, I care. I don't want you to die," I said. "Please come, Brady."

He looked up into my face, fear and distrust plain in those dark hazel eyes. "What if this is a trap?"

"You said you didn't care, so where's the harm?" I asked. "Besides, I already told you, you can trust me." I held out my hand. "Come with me, Brady. I'm begging you."

He looked at me for a few more seconds, then took my hands, still looking right into my eyes. "Okay, I trust you. I'll come."

"Okay, now we have to hurry," I said, sagging with relief.

He got to his feet and followed me out of Sublevel Eight, up the stairs, and through the halls of ASSULF Headquarters. It was harder to tell where we were going in the dark, but I was able to navigate us through and up to the entrance where my dad and Dr. Amélie were waiting.

Dr. Amélie visibly sagged with relief when she saw us. "Mikayla! Brady! Come, we haven't much time before they find out that we're gone."

I felt Brady stiffen beside me.

I squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It's okay," I whispered. "They're my family. They want to help. And I wouldn't let anything hurt you."

He nodded slowly but still didn't speak.

"Alright, we're all here, so let's go!" My dad said, his eyes on the hallway behind us. "Quick, we haven't much time!"

I felt a thrill of anticipation. We were leaving. We were going_ outside_. I hadn't been outside in years!

The door swung open.

"Come on, let's go!" My dad exclaimed.

Dr. Amélie ran out, holding all of the bags.

I squeezed Brady's hand again. "Are you ready?" I asked.

He nodded slowly.

"Then let's go!" I cried, running out into the night, pulling him with me.

My dad followed us, shutting the door behind us.

We were out.

* * *

**Yay! They did it! Review!**


	8. Kinkow, Here We Come

**And now for what they do next…**

* * *

We ran until we couldn't see the ASSULF Headquarters anymore (well, technically it was underground, so we could never see it, but you know what I mean). My dad was in the lead, Dr. Amélie at his heels, and then me at the back, still clutching Brady's hand. He was _really _slow.

Finally we came to a halt, all of us panting and wheezing.

"So what do we do now?" My dad asked between labored breaths. "We got him out, what happens now?"

Dr. Amélie looked over at me, obviously looking for an answer.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"We can't just go back to San Francisco," my dad said. "Not with him."

"Why not?" Dr. Amélie asked. "They can't come looking for you or him without conducting a nationwide search, and they can't do that without revealing that ASSULF 's a secret they've protected for hundreds of years, they can't let it out now."

"Yes, but the _boy_," my dad repeated. "Amélie, he instantly kills anyone who touches him. He can't live a normal life."

"Daddy, don't say that! He's right here!" I said, gesturing to the boy sitting beside me.

But he wasn't paying attention. Instead his eyes were fixed on the ground. I could tell by the intensity of his gaze that he was thinking hard.

"What is it, Brady?" I asked.

He looked up at me. Then his gaze darted to Dr. Amélie, then my dad.

"You can tell them," I said at once. "You can trust them."

"We can't go back to San Francisco or New York or anywhere and try to live a normal life," he said, his voice so soft I could barely catch his words. "That hooded figure, the one who destroyed Kinkow." His voice sounded heavier now, weighed down by the pain those words cause him. "That didn't satisfy him. Now that he's destroyed the magic island in the middle of the sea and it's Royal Family is dead, he's coming after the whole world. And no one can stop him."

"But the entire Royal Family isn't dead yet," I said. "You're still alive."

He nodded. "Yes, I am. But he doesn't know that. He thinks the threats are all gone."

"I have a question," my dad said. "Why is the Royal Family of Kinkow this guy's biggest threat? It's a tiny island and most people have never even heard of it."

"Because Kinkow has magic," Brady said calmly. "It's everywhere on the island, and it's also in the blood of the Royal Family. Together, my brothers and I could defeat him." He sounded sad when he mentioned his brothers.

"So… how do we stop him?" I asked.

"I don't know…" He said slowly. "But I think we should go back to the island."

"But you said it was destroyed," I said.

"Not completely. The shell of it still stands, I think. And even if it doesn't, there are many neighboring islands where we can stay. He's still there, I believe. We need to get to him and get rid of him."

I nodded. "I'm in. Daddy? Dr. Amélie?"

"Well," Dr. Amélie said. "I didn't just break a refugee out of Sublevel Eight and lose my job for nothing. I'm going all the way."

I smiled at her. "Daddy? Are you in or out?"

"Baby girl, I don't know about this. It sounds awfully dangerous."

"Okay then," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I didn't want to admit it, but the thought of going on without my dad scared me. "Then you can go back to San Francisco and we'll keep going without you."

My dad sighed. "You know I can't leave you, baby girl. I'm in."

"Thank you daddy!" I said, hugging him. Then I turned to Brady. "So how do we get to Kinkow?"

"By air balloon," he said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously? Where are we going to get one of those?"

"I think I know where," Dr. Amélie said with a coy smile. "We just need to get to San Diego…"

"Okay," my dad said. "We can catch a flight there. We're not that far from Phoenix. Come on, everyone, we're walking to Phoenix!"

~XXX~

The walk to Phoenix took about three hours, by the end of which I could not _wait_to get on the plane, where I could sit down and _not _walk. As we walked into the terminal, however, Dr. Amélie pulled out her phone to look at her messages and gave a little shriek.

"What is it?" I asked her, suddenly feeling very panicky.

She held up her phone for me to see. It was a text from Dr. Felton. **We know you have him. Hand him over or face the consequences. **

I looked up and met Dr. Amélie's eyes. "No," I said softly, my eyes darting over to Brady.

"I know," she said, her fingers already flying over her phone's tiny keyboard. I saw her mouthing the word as she typed it. **Never. **

"They're coming for me," Brady whispered, his eyes fixed on the ground, though there was an absent look in them, like his mind was somewhere far away. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"Yes," Dr. Amélie said, looking down at the floor as well.

I went over to stand beside him and took his hand in mine. "Don't worry, Brady. I won't let them hurt you. I promise."

He didn't respond.

We stayed like that for a minute, then my dad broke the silence. "Well, if we have a government agency after us, then we'd better not miss our flight. Amélie, Mikayla, Brady," he threw the boy a disgusted look. "Come on, we need to get going."

"Yes, daddy," I said obediently.

Dr. Amélie and Brady nodded.

My dad immediately took the lead and directed us onto the airplane and into our seats.

Since they were so last minute, we hadn't been able to get seats close to each other except for two. So my dad and Dr. Amélie sat in random single seats closer to the front while Brady and I sat together closer to the back. My dad wasn't very happy with that arrangement, but as Dr. Amélie pointed out, we couldn't let Brady sit alone unsupervised among strangers, and I was the only person he could touch and the only person he trusted.

"You're not scared of heights, are you?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. I been on enough hot air balloons and razor hawks in my life to be use to flying."

"Razor hawks?" I repeated, raising my eyebrows.

He smiled slightly. "Yeah. My island is pretty crazy."

I smiled back. "I can't wait to hear about it."

"Maybe I'll tell you sometime," he said quietly, looking out the window.

"Okay," I said. I knew I had to give him time with this whole Kinkow thing. It must be really hard on him. I rmeber how hard it was when my mother had died. This must be so much worse. I mean, he'd not only lost his parents, but his entire family, his friends, everyone he'd ever known. Even his home. Talk about rough. "I think I'm going to take a nap now. I'm pretty tired," I told him.

He nodded, still looking out the window.

I settled back into my seat and close my eyes, trying to fall asleep. But my position was too uncomfortable.

"You can put your head on my shoulder," Brady said, watching me.

"Thanks," I said, leaning my head against his shoulder and closing my eyes. _Perfect. _

Brady's shoulder was really soft and comfortable, and soon I started to drift off…

~XXX~

"Mikayla, wake up. We're here."  
I opened my eyes at the sound of Brady's voice. "Really?"

He nodded, smiling. "You slept the whole time," he told me.

"Wow," I said. "Well, I'm all rested now. Let's go find that balloon!"

As soon as we got through security, Dr. Amélie hailed a taxi that took us to the pier.  
"He said he'd meet us here," she told us.

Sure enough, a hot air balloon was waiting for us there, a kind looking old man standing beside it.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Maurice," Dr. Amélie said, beaming at him. "We'll try to bring it back as soon as possible."

_If we don't die first_, I thought. There was no guarantee we'd live through this. I didn't say that, though.

Uncle Maurice helped us into the balloon and cut the rope tying it to the earth.

"You guys do know how to control this thing, don't you?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

"Yes, of course," Dr. Amélie said confidently. "I've flown it many times."

Brady just nodded, looking up into the inside of the balloon.

We started to rise. Soon we were off the ground.

"Kinkow, here we come," I breathed.

* * *

**Ahhh! ASSULF is after them! What will they do! Please review!**


	9. Kinkow

**Okay, time for Chapter Nine!**

* * *

We watched San Diego until it disappeared beneath us, replaced with sparkling blue seawater. The ocean breeze smelled amazing, and it felt _wonderful_ on my face, blowing my hair all around me.

"I love this!" I exclaimed, throwing out my arms and taking in a deep breath of that salty sea air.

Brady smiled, his eyes on my face. "You'd have loved Kinkow," he said softly, stretching out his hand and brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

"I'm sure it was beautiful there," I said, smiling back.

He looked away and said something under his breath that I couldn't make out.

"What?" I asked.

He raised his eyes to my face and repeated what he'd said a bit more loudly. "But not as beautiful as you."

I felt heat rising up in my cheeks, but I didn't feel embarrassed. More like happy. Very, _very_ happy. "Thanks, Brady."

He looked down again and shrugged. "No problem."

I glanced back at my dad, who was thankfully deep in discussion with Dr. Amélie and hadn't heard me and Brady's conversation. Then I lowered my voice and said, "Brady, did you… did you have a girlfriend back on Kinkow?"

He lifted his head and looked at me, mildly confused. "No, I don't. One of my brothers, Boomer, had a girlfriend, but I don't." His eyes swept over the ocean, then throughout the balloon. "I've just never found anyone… _special_." His gaze lingered on me when he said the word _special_.

I blushed again and looked down at the dark blue sea.

"What about you?" He asked after about three minutes of silence. "Is one of those doctors at ASSULF your boyfriend?"  
I shook my head. "Nope. I haven't found my white knight yet either."

"Well, there's someone out there for everyone," he said, his eyes on the skyline. "You just haven't found them yet."

I started picking at the straw sticking out of the balloon basket. "I guess you're right. I just don't know how I'll know him when I'll find him."

"You'll know," he said, his eyes still far away. "You'll know."

"What if…" I began tentatively.

He turned to me, listening.

"What if someone knew they'd met the one, but they didn't know if that person felt the same way about them?" I asked, avoiding meeting his eyes.

He smiled slightly and said, "If they were really the one, they'd feel the same way."

"Yeah, but does she- I mean, they find out?"

"Well, I think the best way to find out would be to ask," he said, still looking at me.

I nodded and went back to picking at the straw.

"Why all the questions?" He asked finally.

I shrugged. "I don't know… I was just wondering." I did know why, though. But I'd never say it out loud. Never in a million years.

"Okay." He went back to watching the ocean.

"So… we have time now. Can you tell me about your island?"  
He nodded and launched into a full description of a place that sounded straight out of my childhood storybook, with mermaids and trolls and creatures called Waka Wakas (giant mosquitos) and Tarantula People and massive razor hawks that could carry away small children to their nests. The way he described it, I felt immediately sucked into the magic of the place and I could practically see it, the picture forming in my mind's eye. Then once he had finished telling me about Kinkow, he went on to depict his two brothers, Boomer and Boz, and his cousin Lanny, and his parents, and many other of his close friends. He recounted story after story of his and his brothers' many, _many _pranks and adventures (they sometimes happened simultaneously, apparently). As he was doing this, I watched how his eyes lit up as he talked about his home and his family and the life he'd lost. I wanted _so_ much for him to get that life back. I wished we could somehow bring back Kinkow and all it's people, but I knew that was impossible. But if only there was some way… I knew I'd do anything to get that back for him!

"But yeah… That's my island," he finished, grinning.

I smiled. "It certainly sounds like an adventure."

"It is," he said, still grinning. "But I wouldn't want it any different." He leaned forward against the side of the basket and suddenly I saw the weight reappear on his shoulders, weighing him down again, and I knew then that he hadn't been like this, dark and quiet and brooding, back when he still lived on Kinkow. I don't know who he'd been, but not like the person he was now.

I put my hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Brady, I-"

He pushed my hand away.

I stepped back, surprised at this sudden change in him. "I'm sorry. I'll… I'll talk to you later." And then I walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

~XXX~

"I see it!" I heard Dr. Amélie squeal two days later, as my dad, Brady, and I were finishing up breakfast. She was leaning over the side of the basket, her face all lit up.

Brady and I got to our feet and rushed over to her, where we leaned over the side too.

She was right, it was there! I could see it! It was right there, in the middle of the ocean, a swirl shaped island, just like Brady had said. Except it wasn't lush and beautiful, with dark green jungles and a majestic volcano right in the center. Instead the entire thing looked like a black desert, completely flat and burned, almost like a forest after a forest fire.

Next to me, I felt Brady stiffen.

I put my hand on his arm comfortingly and asked Dr. Amélie if we were going to land on it.

She nodded. "Yes, right away. Mason, come help me land this thing!"  
My dad got to his feet.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked Brady hesitantly, unsure of what the answer would be.

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready." But he didn't sound so sure.

I wasn't so sure either.

* * *

**Okay, I know this one was just a filler… sorry 'bout that… Please review!**


	10. The Black Hooded Figure

**Hey! Here's the next chapter…..**

* * *

We landed, well I have no idea _where _we landed, because everything looked exactly the same. Same burned, black plains stretching out around us as far as the eye could see.

"We have arrived," Brady said in a strange accent I couldn't identify.

A giggle escaped me. I couldn't help it, that voice had been just too funny.

A flicker of a smile crossed his face, then it reverted back to being cast in shadows.

I stood there, watching him, but he stayed stationary, staring at the ground.

Finally my dad said, "We should probably get going. Brady, can you lead the way?"

He gave a little start and looked up, then nodded swiftly. "Follow me." He turned and began leading us through the black plain, his pace faster than a walk but not fast enough to be a run. When it because apparent that he wasn't planning on slowing down, my dad and Dr. Amélie started to lag behind.

I sped up a bit and fell in step with him. "So where are we going?"

He squinted up at the sun, probably trying to find our position. "The castle. Or, at least, where it use to be."

I nodded slowly, then asked, "Brady, why didn't you talk when you first got to ASSULF?" That question had been bothering me for a long time now.

"Would you be a chatterbox if your family and friends had just been murdered, your home had been destroyed, and you were the only survivor?" His voice was tired and heavy.

"I guess not…"

We walked in silence for a minute.

"Were you a chatterbox before?" I asked.

He smiled slightly. "Yeah. Yeah I was."

I grinned. "I'd have liked to have seen that."

His smile widened. "I'm sure you would have." He glanced sideways at me. "Mikayla, can I say something crazy?"  
"Absolutely."

"I don't know why this is… but it feels almost like you _belong _here. Like you're _from _here. When I first met you, that time you visited me, I sensed that you where from Kinkow. That's why I looked up, because I thought somehow, someone from home had survived, just like me. But I was wrong, you're not from here. You're from… there."

"Does it still feel like that? Like I'm from here?"

He nodded. "The feeling just keeps getting stronger."

I frowned. "That's so weird. I've never been here before in my life."

"I know. I said it was crazy."

We went back to walking in silence.

I looked over at him as we walked. On the outside, he looked like a normal teenage boy, except for the shadow that now darkened his face. Shaggy dark hair, cute face, and nicely built, not too buff but not to stick-like either. Typical high school popular boy. But he wasn't like any boy I'd ever met. Not even close.

He saw me looking. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

"Do you even really want to know?" I asked. "No one ever does."

"Well, I do." His hazel eyes were fixed on me, his gaze steady and unwavering.

"Water!" Dr. Amélie voice cried from behind us.

I turned around and ran back to her. A minute later I almost stumbled over the edge of the island into the sea. I leaned over the smooth surface of the water and looked at my reflection. My clothes were all still intact, but my hair badly needed a brushing.

Brady's reflection appeared beside mine and I glanced up at him.

"What are you looking at?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. Come on, let's keep going."

We continued walking the former castle site, my dad and Dr. Amélie keeping pace with us this time. When we finally got there, I looked around and said, "This is it? I don't see anything." It was true, the site looked the same as everywhere else, burned and blackened and flat.

Brady didn't answer, just started walking around, probably searching for some remains of his home. But there wasn't anything to be found, I could already tell. Nothing was left of the Royal Kinkowan Castle.

"Brady!" I called to him. "There's nothing left, there's no point in even looking. Come back!'

He shook his head.

"Brady!" I yelled.

No response.

I ran over to him and said, "Brady, please." I felt tears fill my eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's all gone." I grabbed his hand.

Instantly, a shock ran through me, starting for my hand and rapidly snaking out over my entire body. I gave a short scream of pain and suddenly everything went black.

~XXX~

I was standing in the middle of a village square, little island kids playing and laughing around me, their mothers doing laundry and chatting with their neighbors.

_What's going on? Where am I? _I thought, confused.

"Brady!" A little African-American boy, about eight, called, waving wildly. "I'm open!"

_Brady? _I whirled around and saw another eight year old boy with shaggy dark hair running towards the other boy.

"Boomer!" He yelled, throwing the ball he was clutching to Boomer.

_Boomer? That's Brady's brother's name! Wait… what if when I touched Brady I got transported into his memories? _

"Boz!" Boomer yelled, throwing the ball to a tall orange haired boy. The third brother!

Out of the corner of my eye I saw two extremely buff men wearing too little clothing walking towards the boys. Probably guards.

"Prince Brady, Prince Boomer, Prince Boz," the first guard said. "Your mother requested you come home now."

"Now?" Boomer whined. "Five more minutes please?"  
Before I could hear the guard's reply, the scene shifted, replaced by a room I remembered Brady describing, the Throne Room. I saw the same boys, a few years older, playing King of the Hill with the throne. They were all trying to sit on it, but they were also trying to push each other off, so it looked more like a wrestling match.

The Throne Room door swung open and a beautiful African-American woman walked in, wearing a gorgeous purple dress and a golden crown.

"Boys!" She exclaimed. "No wrestling on the throne!"

And then the scene changed again, and I saw the castle courtyard. The sky was dark and stormy, ravens flying around everywhere. A circle of people stood in the courtyard, Brady and the woman and his brothers and who I assumed to be his father, cousin, and brother's girlfriend.

"What do we do?" His brother's girlfriend asked, her voice high and panicky.

Boomer wrapped his arm around her.

"I don't know, Rebecca, but I promise you'll be safe. I wouldn't let anything harm any of my subjects," Brady's father said. He looked like his son.

"But what _can _we do?" Brady demanded. "How do we fight him? The rings wouldn't work."

His mother shook her head. "I have no idea."

The scene changed again, but I could tell little time had passed between memories. Brady was running through the jungle, panting heavily, his shirt and hair damp with sweat. The black sky boomed and cracked with thunder and lightning overhead.

A particularly loud crack rang out, the white bolt splitting the sky and shooting down to earth, headed straight for Brady.

He yelled and tried to run faster, but it hit him, sending volts of electricity running up and down his body, sending him crashing to the ground where he lay there, his eyes closed and his face peaceful.

I screamed and my vision went black again.

~XXX~

"Mikayla! Mikayla! Wake up!"

"What?" I asked, sitting up. My head was still spinning from what I'd just seen.

Dr. Amélie grabbed my arm and pulled me up to a sitting position.

Brady stood a few feet away, watching me anxiously but too scared to touch me.

"When Brady touched you, you screamed and then you blacked out," Dr. Amélie explained.

"I'm fine," I assured them. "Fine," I said again, giving my dad a look.

Brady still looked worried.

"I'm okay," I told him.

"I'm so sorry, Mikayla," he whispered, a tear running down his cheek.

"It's okay," I told him gently. "I'm fine."

"But not for long," a cold, deep voice said from behind us.

We all whirled around, except for me, I just looked around.

A black hooded figure stood about ten feet away from us, watching us.

"You!" Brady snarled, trying to charge him, but my dad grabbed him and held him back.

"What do you want?" Dr. Amélie asked coldly.

"To finish my mission," the figure replied. "To kill the last of the Kinkowan Royal Family, so I can then complete my plan of world domination."

* * *

**Dun, dun, DUN!**


	11. Lightning Powers

**Sorry, this chapter is a bit of a filler and pretty short, but I hope you'll like it…. **

* * *

"No!" I screamed, struggling to my feet.

"Mikayla," my dad said quietly.

"What?" The hooded figure asked me, a malicious smile creeping into his voice. "Scared for your boyfriend? Well, you should be, because after I'm done with him…" He started walking towards me menacingly. "And when I'm done with you…"  
"Don't touch her!" Brady snarled, breaking free of my dad's grasp and hurling himself in front of me.

"Who is going to stop me?" He asked.

"Me," Brady said, standing in front of me protectively, his shoulders squared and his arms spread out. His hazel eyes were dark and stormy with anger. "You killed my family and destroyed my home. You took everything else I have away from me. But you won't get her. Ever."

"What about over your dead body?" The figure asked, his eyes glinting under his hood. "Because that can be arranged."

I grabbed Brady's arm (he didn't shock me this time), and said, "Brady, no."

He shook off my hand.

"Brady!"

He turned to look at me, his eyes full of sorrow. "Mikayla, I've lost everything that I care about. It's all gone. I can't lose you too."

"Oh, how sweet," the figure mocked. "_Un_lucky for you, I don't have a sensitive side!"

A loud boom resounded through the air, quickly followed by a white crack of lightning. It was headed straight for Brady!

"Look out!" I shrieked, but he didn't move, didn't even look fazed. As the bolt came down towards him, he flung his hands up into the air, palms up, and suddenly a jet of burning hot blue lighting shot out of his hands and soared up to meet the white lightning, the two bolts colliding in midair and exploding.

"What the heck was that?" I heard my dad ask Dr. Amélie.

"I have no idea," she responded, sounding puzzled… and a bit awed.

Meanwhile, the figure was staring at Brady, probably surprised and confused and just completely dumbfounded, though these were all guesses, since I couldn't see his face.

"I didn't know you could do that," I whispered to Brady, trying hard to keep the awe out of my voice.

"Neither did I," he breathed, clearly still in shock.

"How did you-" the figure began, but before he could go any further, Brady had held out his hands and sent another bolt straight at him. He dodged, but it still hit his arm.

"Run!" Brady yelled, grabbing my hand and yanking me into action.

We ran as fast as we possibly could, my dad and Dr. Amélie right behind us.

"You can't run forever!" The figure yelled at our retreating backs. "And you can't hide! There's nothing to hide you out here."

He was right. There was nowhere to hide on this flat, barren plain, nothing that could conceal us, keep us from the figure's watching eyes.

"He's right," I panted. "Brady, there's nowhere to go."

"We can't give up," he said, panting even harder than me. "Can't. Can't. Can't-"

Another clap of thunder boomed out across the plain, sending shivers of fear running up and down my spine.

"Brady," I said, interrupting him. "How did you get those powers?"

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe… maybe I got them when I was struck by lighting."

"Oh, that makes so much sense!" I panted, trying to slow down a little to catch my breath, but Brady kept pulling me on.

"Come on, Mikayla! You can't quit on me now. Please."

I twisted my head around and saw my dad and Dr. Amélie right behind us, panting and puffing as well, then I looked past them, trying to make out the figure in the distance, but he had disappeared from view.

"Brady, I can't see him anymore. Can we stop for a minute?"

He looked back too, squinted, then sighed heavily. "Okay, we can take a break."

We all came to a halt, where me and my dad doubled over, panting and wheezing. Dr. Amélie and Brady did the same, though they seemed to be less out of breath.

We all sat in a circle as we tried to get our breathing back to normal.

"Brady, how did you do that? With the lightning, I mean," Dr. Amélie asked him. It was obvious that she'd been bursting to ask him this.

"I think it happened when I was struck by lightning," he said. "I never could do that before."

"That explains why he kills people when they try to touch him!" I exclaiming, suddenly realizing. "He electrocutes them, with his lightning."

"But it still doesn't explain why you don't die," she said, frowning. "You can't control it, can you, Brady? The electrocuting?"

He shook his head, then paused mid-shake. "I don't know if I can or not now, since I just controlled it with the… hooded figure. But then I couldn't. I didn't kill them all on purpose. I would never…"  
"We know, dear," Dr. Amélie said kindly. "So that explains a lot, but we still have a lot of holes…"

"But we aren't being scientists now," I said quickly, giving her a look. "We don't want to figure out how it works, we just want to protect him."

She nodded emphatically. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, my scientist side just can't help seeping in…"

"It's o-"

But just then a shadow crossed over us were we all sat, like something was blocking out the sun.

We all looked up.

It was a helicopter, the whirring blades making a loud whizzing noise that we could hear all the way down on the ground.

A tall dark-haired woman leaned out the window, looking down at us, a satisfied smile on her lined face.

Dr. Felton.

Her megaphone enhanced voice called down to us. "GIVE US THE REFUGEE OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"

* * *

**Uh-oh. ASSULF is here. What'll they do?**


	12. ASSULF

**What'll they do? Will ASSULF take Brady away? Read on….. **

* * *

"They've come for me," Brady breathed, his eyes glued on the roving helicopter.

"Well they're not going to get you," I said fiercely, glaring up at it.

"Certainly not!" Dr. Amélie agreed vehemently.

My dad didn't look as sure. "Amélie-" He began.

"No Mason," she interrupted him. "We're _not_ handing him over."

The helicopter hovered for a few more seconds, then slowly started to descend, landing right in front of us.

I grabbed Brady's hand and squeezed it. It was as cold as ice.

The passenger door swung open and Dr. Felton climbed out, dressed in a spotless white pencil skirt and doctors' coat, her dark hair pulled back tightly. She surveyed the four of us with cold, dark eyes.

Another doctor stepped out behind her. I recognized Dr. Ricketts's sandy hair and dark blue eyes immediately.

"You three," Dr. Felton said coldly, her eyes on me and my dad and Dr. Amélie. "Are going to pay for this."

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"We always implant a tracking chip in all of our refugees as soon as they arrive," Dr. Ricketts said, smiling smugly. "Finding you traitors was easier than taking candy from a baby."

"We're not traitors," I said, although I knew we were.

"You left ASSULF Headquarters without permission, you helped a refugee escape, then you refused to return him to us," Dr. Felton said, her tone icy. "If you're not traitors, then I'm the queen of England."

_That could be possible_, I thought. _You never know._ I said nothing out loud, however.

"Why?" She asked us, looking from my dad to Dr. Amélie to me. "Why did you do it?"

"Because we know what you do to the refugees, after you've run all your tests on them," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "You kill them."

"And what's that to you? Why do you care? These refugees, they're not even people, just life forms. They're _aliens_, Mikayla. They can't think and feel like us. Their lives don't matter. Their only purpose is _science_."

Next to me, Brady made an angry noise in his throat.

"That's not true!" I cried forcefully. "Some of them may not be human, but they _are_ people, and they _can _feel! They're not animals! Killing them is murder!"

"No, it's not. They are _dangerous_. We can't let them go. This boy killed six people already! Imagine if we let him out into the world. He'd kill everyone."

"No I wouldn't," Brady said quietly.

She continued as if he'd never spoken. "And the science, Mikayla! Think of all the scientific progress we can make-"

"Is that all you care about?" I asked. "Science? Making scientific discoveries?" I met her eyes. Hers were as cold and hard as ice, completely void of all emotion. "Where's your soul, Doctor Felton?"

"Who needs a soul," she said. "A soul, feelings, emotions, it all just brings pain. Too much pain."

I just looked at her. "That's so sad," I said. I couldn't imagine life without any of those things, especially love.

There were tears in Dr. Amélie's eyes. "Oh Julia…" She said, her voice sounding all choked up.

Dr. Felton shook her head. "No. Stop. Just give us the boy."

"No!" I cried, squeezing Brady's hand so tight he winced.

She turned and looked at me, her gaze sending chills up and down my spine, making me shiver. "Yes, Mikayla. You can't keep him from us any longer. We are taking him, and we are taking him _now_. But don't worry, I have something special planned for the rest of you as well." She turned and nodded at Dr. Ricketts. "You know what to do."

He nodded in return and whistled.

Instantly the back hatch of the helicopter sprang open and five armed, white-suited guards climbed out. One for each of us, and two for Brady. They ran around to the side, where we all stood and turned to Dr. Ricketts for orders.

"Get them," he said, his eyes on us. "Tie them up and throw them in the back. If they resist, use your strength. I give you permission to kill any of them if necessary, except for the boy. Keep him alive at all costs."

They all nodded in unison and wheeled around to face us.

"Take the girl first!" Dr. Felton yelled.

The tallest guard lunged for me and caught my arm, holding it in a vice-like grip, and tried to drag me back to the helicopter.

I screamed and kicked him in the shins, but he didn't even flinch. My sweaty hand slipped out of Brady's and the guard pulled me harder.

"Let her go!" My dad yelled, surging forward, but Brady got there first. He grabbed the guard's arm and the man collapsed, obviously dead.

"What the-" Dr. Ricketts said.

"Come on, let's go!" Brady yelled, seizing my hand.

We ran, my dad and Dr. Amélie right behind us, praying we would make it.

"So," I panted. "The hooded guy isn't enough, now we have high-tech government agency after us?"

"They were always after us," my dad wheezed. "We just thought we'd lost them. We didn't think they could follow us here."

"Well they did!" I exclaimed. "And now have two different groups trying to kill us!"

"They won't hurt you, Mikayla," Brady whispered. "I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"But that's what _I_ told _you_," I said. "_I'm _the one who's suppose to protect _you_."  
He shook his head. "No. Not anymore. I'm here for you, and I am going to keep you safe, no matter what."

That _no matter what_ scared me. I didn't want to think about that, about Brady having to die for me. I _was not_ going to let him do that. I changed the subject. "Brady, that guard back there… you said you could control it."

"I can," he panted.

"So you were _trying _to kill him?"

"Yes."

"Oh Brady… how could you?" I asked, tears filling my eyes.

"He was trying to hurt you. I told you, I can't let anyone hurt you."

A tear rolled down my cheek. "Brady…"

"Brady, where are we going?" Dr. Amélie called. "Not the castle, I hope."  
"No!" He called back. "We're headed for what use to be the Dark Side."

"Sounds ominous," my dad muttered.

Then I heard that loud whizzing noise, and I looked up. There was the helicopter, right above us!

I shrieked and tried to run faster, but I couldn't.

Brady gave me curious look and looked up too. His eyes widened.

Then I heard a loud popping noise, and the two doctors and their guards, now only four, dropped down right in front of us.

"Did you miss us?" Dr. Ricketts asked us, grinning, an evil glint in his eyes.

Brady held up his hand threateningly. "I can kill you all."

"I'm sure you could," Dr. Felton replied calmly. "But I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because we have Mikayla!" She shrieked triumphantly.

I felt a strong hand suddenly grab my wrists, clasping them together, pulling me up against them, holding a knife at my throat.

"Brady!" I screeched.

"Let her go!" He yelled.

"Come with us, and we will," she said.

His eyes darted from me to the guard to Dr. Felton the back to me. I could sense his mind racing, trying to think of a way to get us out of this. Then I saw it clicked, and he mouthed, _head-bump him_, to me.

I had no idea what on earth his plan was, but I obliged, leaning my head froward, then bring it sharply back up, banging my head against my captor's. I didn't think it would actually work, but he let go of me and crumpled to the ground. I'm not gonna lie, that _hurt_, really, _really _badly.

Brady advanced on Dr. Felton. "You have two options," he told her quietly. "One: leave this island immediately, or Two: I'll kill all of you."

A shiver ran down my spine. Kill _all _of them? Would Brady really do that?

Dr. Felton met Brady's gaze head on. "You are not in a position to bargain, Refugee 29945."

"Oh really?" He said, grabbing her arm.

She screamed and crumpled to the ground, dead.

Dr. Amélie squeaked in shock.

Dr. Ricketts looked at Brady, shocked and terrified.

"Leave, or go the same way as her," Brady said calmly.

Dr. Ricketts nodded quickly and whistled. "Men, head out!" He yelled.

The five of them retreated back to their helicopter and flew away, hopefully never to be seen again.

* * *

**Next post is on Monday, on account of the holiday. HAPPY EASTER!**


	13. It's Not Gone

**And after a short two-day holiday break, I am back with the final chapter (epilogue not included)! Warning: I really rushed through this because I am SO busy and I'm sure none of this chapter makes any sense… **

* * *

We watched the helicopter as it disappeared, then my dad said, "Well, we can _definitely _kiss our jobs goodbye now."

"Good riddance!" I said vehemently.

"We already knew we'd lose them," Dr. Amélie pointed out. "So it's no surprise."

"But what are we going to do without jobs?" My dad demanded, looking panicky.

Dr. Amélie wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry about it, Mason," she said comfortingly. "We'll find a way to get by."

"If we survive this," I pointed out.

"We need to go back," Brady said suddenly.

We all looked at him.

"What do you mean, go back?" Dr. Amélie asked.

"I mean go back and face him. The hooded figure. We need to get rid of him for good," Brady said, glancing up at us, his hazel eyes dark and sad yet determined.

"Brady's right," I said. "That's what we came here to do, isn't it?"

"Yes, but-" My dad began, but I cut him off.

"But nothing! Come on, daddy! We came here to stop this guy from taking over the world, and that's what we're going to do. That's what'll make it all worth it, losing our jobs, leaving our home, all of it!"

"But what if you get hurt?" My dad asked.

"I won't let that happen," Brady said immediately.

"Daddy, I don't think you're as worried about me as you are about yourself," I said. "_You _are scared for_ your _safety, not mine."

"That's not-"

"Yes it is! I know it is, daddy, you can't pretend otherwise. But you don't have to be scared. I'm here for you, you'll be okay."

He looked up at me. "Really?"

I looked right back. "Really really."

He sighed heavily. "Okay then. Let's go save the world."

"That'll be a memory for the memory books," Dr. Amélie joked, winking at me.

I giggled and grabbed Brady's hand. "Come on, Brady. Time for you to be a hero again."

"I don't know how many times I'll be able to do that again," he said, flashing me a mischievous grin I'd never seen on him before.

"Oh, I'm sure you can manage it once or twice more," I said, smiling back.

We started walking back to where we'd last seen the figure, the two of us taking the lead.

"Do you think we can do this?" I asked Brady.

He nodded slowly. "I think so."

We walked in silence for a while after that, until finally we were almost there. I could see the outline of the hooded figure in the distance, standing on the burned ground where Brady's home had once stood. And then Brady broke the silence.

"Mikayla," he began, looking a bit nervous. "There's.. uh.. something I want to tell you."

"Yes?" I asked, a bit curiously. What could he want to tell me?

"Uhhh…" He glanced back at Dr. Amélie, who seemed to know exactly what he wanted and grabbed my dad's arm, turning him around and engaging him in conversation so he couldn't see us.

"Okay, now I can do this," Brady said, taking my other hand and bringing me face to face with him. "Mikayla, I know this is going to sound crazy-"

"I'm use to crazy," I told him. "What is it?"  
"I know I've only known you for a few days, but it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I've known you my entire life. But that's not what I wanted to tell you. What I wanted to say was… I really like you, Mikayla. No, I don't just like you, I love you. You're the light that shone through when my world was black as night. You're the one who gave me hope when I had none and who rescued me from my prison. You're my angel. And I love you with all of my heart."

"You love me?" I echoed.

He was looking right into my eyes now with those beautiful hazel ones I loved so much. "Yes. Do you… do you love me too?"

I may not have known before, but I knew now. "Yes. Yes, I love you." I whispered. My eyes were suddenly filled with hot tears. "Yes I love you," I said again, louder this time. A tear rolled down my cheek.

Brady wiped it off with his thumb. "Don't cry, Kayla."

"But what if we die?" I asked, a small sob escaping me. "We just found each other…"

"Hey," he said softly, taking me into his arms and hugging me. "We'll be okay. Love always finds a way, my Mikayla."

I hugged him back tightly, trying to fight back my tears. "I know."

Suddenly there was a loud CRACK of lightning quickly followed by a mind-blowing BOOM of thunder. "WHERE ARE YOU, BRADY?" The hooded figure's voice reverberated across the plain. "COME TO ME, BOY."

Brady released me. "We have to go. It's now or never."

I nodded. "Okay."  
"I love you."

"I love you too. Now we need to hurry."

~XXX~

The four of us ran all the way to the old castle site, panting and wheezing by the time we got there.

He was waiting for us, his green eyes glowing at us out of the shadows under his hood. "Hello again, old friends," he said, his voice low and guttural.

"We're here to finish you off," Brady said cooly. "So prepare to die."

"Prepare to die? Sorry, I can't really do that. Death is not on my schedule."

"It's not really on ours either, though," Dr. Amélie said. "So we both have a bit of a problem, don't we?"

"If you give me the prince, I will let the rest of you go free," the figure said.

"Yeah, sure. But when you take over the world, you'll kill us then. So it's then or now," I pointed out. "Or Option Three: we kill you."

"You can't kill me," he said. "What powers do you have?"

"Lightning. Fortunately for us, you were stupid enough to give it to me," Brady said.

"Ah, so I did," he said. "Then let us duel, boy."

"All right, we duel," Brady agreed.

I couldn't help squeaking in fear.

He turned to me. "Don't worry, Mikayla. I'll be fine." Then he turned back to face the figure, jaw clenched in determination.

I stepped back and Dr. Amélie wrapped her arm around me, pulling me closer. "He'll be okay," she whispered.

I leaned my head against her shoulder. "I hope so."

The two faced each other, bowed, then began to circle each other. For the first few minutes they just circled each other, neither one doing anything.

_Do something_, I silently begged Brady. _Just DO something! Make a move! Fight! _

Finally, the figure uttered a low, indistinct word and a flock of black ravens swooped down on Brady, but he just sent a jet of blue lightning at them, sending them falling to the ground, dead. Next, the figure sent a cloud of crows. They went the same way as the ravens.

I started to feel some hope. But I still didn't understand why Brady didn't _do_ anything.

After he'd deflected some eagles and giant flies, the figure was starting to get frustrated. "Fight back!" He yelled. "Fight back, boy!"

"You want me to fight back?" Brady asked. "Fine, I'll fight back." He closed his eyes and made his hands into fists. Then there was a huge rumbling, followed by a deafening CRACK, and a blue bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and hit the figure squarely on top of the head. As soon as it made contact with him, the figure just disappeared into thin air.

My mouth dropped open. "How did you do that?" I asked.

He shook his head, looking just as shocked as I felt. "I don't know… But I feel weaker, much weaker…" He stumbled, but my dad was able to catch him before he fell.

"That bolt must have seeped the rest of your powers," Dr. Amélie said, automatically switching to scientist mode.

"I don't care," he said. "I'm just glad she's gone."

"Hey, what's that?" I asked. Lying on the ground, in the place where the figure had just been standing, was a small sphere, about the size of my hand. I walked over to it, bent down, and picked it up. It was crystal clear, full of swirling, beautiful blue sea water.

Dr. Amélie came closer and examined it. "I'm not sure."

"It's heavy," I said. "Here, you hold it." I held it out to her, but it was so cold and slippery and heavy that it slipped out of my fingers, fell to the ground, and smashed.

But before I had time to feel sorry that such a beautiful thing had broken, aqua blue mist started to seep out, twirling up in spirals. Soon it was pouring out, filling the air, reaching out, covering the entire face of the island.

"Brady, what's happening?" I asked. "Brady?" I couldn't see him anymore. I couldn't see anyone, they were all lost in the mist.

After a few minutes of swirling it started to clear out and I could see everyone again. And I also got the shock of a lifetime.

"What happened?" I cried, looking around. My surrounding had changed completely. Instead of a flat, blacken plain, I was standing in the middle of a beautiful courtyard, made all of tan cobblestones. In front of me a castle made of the same tan cobblestones loomed high above me, and behind me a lush, dark green forest had taken shape. To another side of me I could see a the ocean, aqua blue and sparkling.

"Kinkow," Brady breathed. "It's Kinkow. It's back!"

"This is the castle?" I asked. "Really?"

He nodded, his eyes shining. "If it's come back… But how could they possibly…"

Then the huge wooden castle doors swung open and people came pouring out. I recognized some of them, Brady's parents and siblings and Rebecca.

They spotted him at once and ran to over to us.

"Brady! You saved us!" Rebecca exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a sisterly hug.

"Yeah! You did it!" His brothers cried, clapping him on the back.

His parents hugged him, then all of their attention turned to me.

"Who's that?" One of his brothers, Boomer, I think, asked.

Brady smiled at me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Everyone, this is Mikayla. She helped me with… everything."

His mom gave me a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mikayla."

Everyone else said hello, Brady introduced my dad and Dr. Amélie, and his family all started going back inside, talking about some kind of feast. My dad and Dr. Amélie went with them.

I hung back a little. Brady had already gone in with his brothers, leaving me alone and kind of unsure what to do.

The doors had almost closed when Rebecca came back out. "Come on, Mikayla. Don't you want to?"  
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I do.é

She walked over to me and looped her arm through mine. "Then come on. I think you and me should get to know each other."

"Good," I said. "I can't wait to get to know all of you."

* * *

**Epilogue will be coming in a few days, I'm not sure exactly when. But I have to tell y'all something. I think I'm going to retire my FanFiction account. I mean, I'm going to leave my stories up, but I won't write anymore. This last story was really hard for me, I had a lot of trouble writing it and it still wasn't very good, not nearly as good as I'd hoped it would be, anyway. So unless y'all are SUPER apposed to it, I'm gonna say goodbye. **


	14. Love You Forever

**_Two Years Later _**

"Mikayla!" An excited shriek broke through the stillness, making the several servants milling around me jump. The castle door swung open and Rebecca ran out, eyes shining and face flushed with happiness.

"Mikayla Mikayla Mikayla Mikayla Mikayla Mikayla!" She yelled, grabbing both my hands and jumping up and down.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the servants start to trickle out of the courtyard, leaving the two of us alone.

"What is it?" I asked. "What's up?"  
She just kept jumping up and down.

"REBECCA!" I yelled.

"Sorry!" She stopped jumping. "Guess what?!"  
"What?" I asked wearily.

She waved her hand energetically in front of my face.

I saw the sparkle of a diamond of her ring finger. "Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling excited too. "You're getting married!"

"Yes!" She shrieked. "Boomer just proposed! I'm getting married!"

I shrieked and threw my arms around her.

We continued hugging and shrieking until we were interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

She let go of me, pulled it out of her pocket, and said, "Oh! It's my mom! I gotta tell her the news! See you, Mikayla!" She walked out of the courtyard, her phone to her ear.

"Hey Mom! Oh, I have the most exciting news…" I heard her say before she got too far away for me to hear her.

I beamed. I was so happy for her! Boomer had finally done it. He'd finally popped the question! Now I just wished Brady would do the same thing. We'd been dating for the past two years, and then a little while ago we'd agreed we'd wait until we were a little older before we got married, but now I was eighteen and we weren't even engaged. Rebecca said he was just nervous, he'd come around eventually, but I couldn't help worrying. I thought Brady loved me, so why didn't he want to be with me forever?

"Mikayla!"

I whirled around. Brady was jogging towards me, wearing swim shorts and a swim shirt and dripping wet. He had that bright, happy smile on his face, which meant he'd just been having the time of his life.

"Hey! Where were you?" I asked.

"Boz and I were catching some waves. It was so much fun." He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "How was your day?"  
"Good," I said, smiling at him. "Boomer asked Rebecca to marry him."

I might have just been imagining it, but right then it looked like a shadow crossed his face.

"He did?" He asked, sounding nervous.

I nodded. "Yeah. But what's wrong? Aren't you happy your brother's getting married?"

He nodded slowly, obviously lost in thought. "Yeah, yeah of course. I gotta go. See you later, beautiful." He kissed my cheek absentmindedly and went inside.

I kept looking at the door to the Throne Room after he'd disappeared through it. What was up with him? All I'd said was his brother was getting married. What was wrong with that?

I sighed. Brady had changed. He was no longer the quiet, untrusting refugee I'd met in the Sublevels so long ago. He was dumb and goofy and loved to make trouble. But he was quieter than he'd been before his island had been destroyed, at least that's what Boomer and Boz had told me. More… serious. Not that any of that change had made a difference in how I felt about him, in fact, it made me love him even more. I loved his goofiness and his adorable smile… just everything about him. Ugh, I sound crazy, don't I? I never thought I'd fall for anyone, and here I was, hopelessly in love with a boy who didn't love me enough to make me his bride. And there was no way of knowing what lay ahead for us. Life's like that, I guess. No crystal balls, no time machines, no way of knowing what's going to come. But I don't know… Maybe, just maybe, that's all for the best.

~XXX~

"Mikayla?"

I looked up from the Great Book to see Boz standing right in front of me. "Yes?"

"Brady's waiting for you up on the Ledge," he said, shuffling his feet. "He says to come as quick as you can."

"This late at night?" I asked. "It's already dark out." I hadn't talk to Brady since the thing this afternoon about Boomer. What did he want?

He shrugged. "I guess so."

"Okay then, thanks Boz," I said, flashing him a smile. "I'll be there soon."

He nodded and left.

As soon as he was gone, I ran up the stairs and into my bedroom. There I quickly changed into my new blue dress, brushed on a bit more mascara, and ran a comb through my hair. I gave my reflection a once-over and ran out the door, headed for the Ledge.

The Ledge is me and Brady's special place. It's this ledge of rock that overlooks one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. We always meet there when we want to be… alone.

Brady was waiting for me when I got there, just like Boz had said. He looked really cute, even though he was just wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. "Hey Mikayla," he said, giving me that special smile he reserved just for me.

"Hey," I said, suddenly feeling shy. Which doesn't make any sense… He's been my boyfriend for two years, any shyness I ever felt around him was long gone by now.

He was still gazing at me, smiling that same smile. For the next few seconds he just stayed like that, almost as if he could look at me forever.

I finally got my nerve back. "Brady, what to you want me to meet you here for?"

He started. "What? Oh yeah…" He suddenly looked really nervous.

"Brady, what's up with you today?" I asked. "You've been acting weirdly…"

And then before I knew what was happening he was kissing me. I melted into his arms and he held me for a one blissful minute.

"Do you love me?" He asked as we slowly pulled apart. "Do you really love me?"  
"You know I do," I breathed, looking straight into those spell-binding hazel eyes. "I've told you a million times."

"Then," he said slowly, looking nervous again. "Will you marry me?"

This was what I'd been waiting for!

"Yes!" I exclaimed, a tear of happiness rolling down my cheek. "Yes, I'll marry you!" I threw my arms around his neck and hugging him tight.

His arms encircled my waist, pulling me even closer.

"My Mikayla," he breathed into my ear. "You're still my angel. And I will love you forever."

* * *

**Awwwww! Another story ended. Still so sad for me :( **

**Now I want to name all of my reviewers, favoriters, and followers… **

**My reviewers: Wendy Pierce, PrettyLittleAspiringWriter, SGJBMCfan98, MarriedToWriting, mussolover, StylishFashionista, Katie, and Guest **

**My favoriters: Wendy Pierce, mussolover, PrettyLittleAspiringWriter, TheTenthSaint, and SGJBMCfan98**

**My followers: Wendy Pierce, SGJBMCfan98, humanusscriptor, Ninjago123, WonderingWhatIf, and Wolfblood2o12 **

**Thanks, all of you! Most of you have been following my stuff for a while, and you've all been great with reviews and all that, so thanks! You guys are what keeps me doing this stuff! **

**Which reminds me… on the subject of me retiring… I'm not sure if that'll happen or not. If I'm not retiring, you'll see a new story from very soon. If not, it's been a good run! **

**Now review! ALL of you! Tell me what you think of this story!**


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